Buddhist Ethics

Buddhist ethics can be classified into several categories. They are, 

Religious ethics

Social ethics

Political ethics

Economical ethics

Buddhist religious ethics teaches people to live without having conflicts. It is mentioned as ‘na kenaci loke viggaiha titthati’. It improves the values and leads people towards a virtuous life. Buddhist ethics encourage people to use ethical ways to develop their life. It can be categorized under several sub sections as purisakāra which means human effort, attakāra which means personal effort, purisāthāma which means human strength, purisa vīriya which means human courage, purisa parakkama which means human adventure and purisa dhoraiha which means human responsibilities.

Furthermore, the main thing in Buddhist ethics is it respects all the other religions and the leaders of those religions. Buddhism was aimed to develop wisdom of the people in accordance with the morality. Therefore, they could understand what to believe by themselves. It is stated in kālāma sutta that “one should accept a proposition as true only when one has ‘personal knowledge’ of it. Taking into account the views of the wise” (Jayathilake, Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge, 1963, p. 416). 

Buddhist social ethics was introduced to both clergy and lay people in order to make strong social contacts and to develop the society. The five precepts could improve many qualities of people.  Mahā mangala sutta has emphasized on maintaining internal and external relationships. Many issues in the contemporary society have arisen because of violating those conditions. Sigālovāda sutta describes how people should do their duties and responsibilities. Parābhava sutta and vasala sutta describes how people be ignoble in the society. One should have to have yonisomanasikāraya which means that being awareness of the present moment in order to control inconveniences. 

Political ethics is a major section in Buddhist ethics. Cakkavatisīhanāda sutta, kutadanta sutta, ten royal virtues and ideal kingship describes political ethics. Buddhist ethics have mainly focused on the ways in which citizen’s can be treated by the rulers and on the relationship between the king and citizens.

Economical ethics are mainly discussed under sigālovāda sutta as the duties and responsibilities that should have to have between the seller and the consumer. If people violate these rules there arose several illegal unethical issues as satta vaṇijjā which means sell animals for meat for labor, sattha vaṇijjā which means weapon businesses, viṣa vaṇijjā which means poison selling, māṃsa vaṇijjā which means selling meats and majja vaṇijjā which means selling drugs. One should divide his profit into several parts as gñāti bali (treat for the relatives), athti bali (treat guests), pubbapeta bali (give merits for those who have already dead), rāja bali (pay taxes) and devatā bali (give merits for gods). 

Finally, Buddhist ethics has wide range in Buddhism. Its main aim is to liberate people. Nevertheless it shows the virtuous path in order to live a good lay life.